In a landmark decision marking Nigeria’s 2025 Democracy Day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu granted a posthumous presidential pardon to executed environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other members of the Ogoni Nine.
The move, aimed at fostering national healing, was announced during his address to a joint session of the National Assembly.
Tinubu also conferred national honours on all nine men, signaling a pivotal shift in addressing long-standing grievances from the Niger Delta. “Under the prerogative of mercy, I hereby grant these national heroes a full pardon,” the President declared. “This decision confronts past injustices and seeks reconciliation with our history.”
The Ogoni Nine—including Saro-Wiwa, Saturday Dobee, Nordu Eawo, Daniel Gbooko, Paul Levera, Felix Nuate, Baribor Bera, Barinem Kiobel, and John Kpuine—were hanged in 1995 by the military regime of General Sani Abacha.
Their controversial trial and execution drew global outrage, becoming a defining symbol of human rights and environmental struggles in the oil-rich Niger Delta.
The decision has been widely praised by civil society groups and leaders as a crucial act of restorative justice. Many see it as a belated but necessary step toward acknowledging the wrongs of the past and addressing the demands of the Niger Delta people.
The pardons and honours form part of broader Democracy Day commemorations, reinforcing Tinubu’s commitment to national unity and historical reckoning.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
